Mookie Betts vs Lou Gehrig: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mookie Betts has played 2014–present as a hitter; Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Mookie Betts (2014–present) and Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mookie Betts has 1,890 hits and 314 home runs through October 12, 2026; Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Mookie Betts's 314.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Mookie Betts's .874.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Mookie Betts's .288.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Mookie Betts's 1,890.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Mookie Betts's 982.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Mookie Betts's 25,700.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Mookie Betts's 4.
Mookie Betts
Lou Gehrig
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mookie Betts and Lou Gehrig. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Mookie Betts is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Mookie Betts | Lou Gehrig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,654 | Leads: 2,164 |
| At-Bats | 6,561 | Leads: 8,001 |
| Runs | 1,237 | Leads: 1,888 |
| Hits | 1,890 | Leads: 2,721 |
| Doubles | 419 | Leads: 534 |
| Triples | 41 | Leads: 163 |
| Home Runs | 314 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 982 | Leads: 1,995 |
| Walks | 783 | Leads: 1,508 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 982 | 790 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 198 | 102 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | .366 | Leads: .447 |
| Slugging % | .508 | Leads: .632 |
| OPS | .874 | Leads: 1.080 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Mookie Betts 81,072 to 25,700 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 2,142, across 17 seasons to 12. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Mookie Betts — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mookie Betts owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mookie Betts and Lou Gehrig careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Mookie Betts (2014–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,654 games for Mookie Betts and 2,164 for Lou Gehrig across 12 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Mookie Betts are stolen bases (198 to 102). Plate discipline differs: Mookie Betts struck out more than walked (982 to 783), but Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts). On the bases, Mookie Betts stole more often per game played (198 steals in 1,654 games for Mookie Betts, 102 in 2,164 for Lou Gehrig). Mookie Betts's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Mookie Betts vs Lou Gehrig: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mookie Betts or Lou Gehrig?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Mookie Betts in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mookie Betts or Lou Gehrig hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Mookie Betts's 314.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Mookie Betts's .874.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Mookie Betts's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Mookie Betts's 1,890.